Category: Applying to Graduate School

by The Ebony Tower Contributors
“Location, location, location”, they say in Real Estate. So it goes in PhD programs as well. Your experience in academia will be shaped by many things—the institution you choose, your cohort, the relationships you build with faculty and the location in which you wish to study. Continue reading Why Location Matters

by Daphne M. Penn I remember when I first decided that I wanted to pursue a PhD. It was two weeks from my 25th birthday, I was in the middle of a quarter-life crisis after my childhood bestie suddenly passed away, and as a third year elementary school teacher approaching testing season, I was a bit disillusioned with my current career. I was feeling both … Continue reading To PhD or Not to PhD: That is the Question

by The Ebony Tower Contributors The GRE, or Graduate Record Exam, is the first of many hurdles to successfully obtaining a graduate degree. Generally, standardized tests strike fear into the hearts of potential takers, and that fear sometimes results in poor performance and/or delaying graduate school. At The Ebony Tower, we know that failure and deferred dreams are not viable options; we also know that the only … Continue reading The Ebony Tower’s Six Tips for GRE Success

by Daphne M. Penn One of the most stressful aspects of the graduate school application process, heck any application process, is asking for letters of recommendation. If fact, I know quite a few people who postponed applying for grad school and/or fellowships because they felt uncertain about securing recommendations. I remember having a conversation with a friend (cough: The Ebony Tower’s Whitney) who wanted to apply … Continue reading The Ebony Tower’s Guide to Securing Great Recommendations

by The Ebony Tower Contributors I’m sure you’ve heard that the journey through a PhD program is a lonely and isolating experience, and while the lie detector test has determined that isn’t a lie, successfully making it through your program will, in fact, require a good support system. The foundation for a strong doctoral support system is your academic advisor/committee chair. Believe it or not, … Continue reading Five Strategies for Choosing the Right Advisor

by The Ebony Tower Contributors Congratulations! You made it to the interview round of your graduate school application process. Let that sink in for a second or a week or 2 days (in my case!) and be proud of your accomplishment. After the stresses of applying- crafting essays, securing transcripts and letters of recommendation, taking and retaking tests, and getting all your documentation in on … Continue reading The Admissions Interview